Wibeless-controlled flying-torpedo



C. H. HILL. WIRELESSCONTROLLED FLYING TORPEDO. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. \912.

1,304,314. Patented May 20,1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1- witnfessesw v Inventor Atto rn eys C. H. HILL.

WIRELESS CONTROLLED FLYING TORPEDO. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. 1912.

1,304,314. Patented May 20; 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Witnesses Inventor Attorneys C. H. HILL.

WIRELESS CQNTROLLED FLYING TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. I917.

Patented May 20, 1919 5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Witnesses Inventor 1 Attorneys C. H. HILL.

WIRELESS CONTROLLED FLYING TORPEDO.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 29. 1911 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Inventor Attorneys I C. ,HQ HILL. I WIRELESS CONTROLLED FLYING TORPEDO. ,APPLICATION- FILED JUNE29. m1,

Patented May 20, i919.

SSHEETS-SHEET 5- WitfiessesA v I Inv enfor 6C yam by herein disclosed ornrcn.

CLAUDE n. ain't, on Quincy, ILLINOIS.

WIRELESS-CONTROLLED FLYING-TORPEDO.

Specification of Letters Patent. k

Application filed June 29, 1917. Serial No. 177,828.

which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an aerial torpedo, and aims to provide a novel and imbeing broken away proved flying torpedo controlled by Hertzian waves.

It is the object of the invention to prqv de a wireless controlled flying torpedo'havmg propelling and steering means under the control of a sending station, whereby the torpedo can be directed at will through the air to the. desired point to strike the ob ect 1ntended, or drop onto the object to accomplish its destruction. r

This device'is intended for offensive or defensive warfare, the torpedo beingunder the control of a wireless sending station in order to direct it to the'desired point under observation, and the construct on and operation being such that the course of operation of the torpedo is not apt to be interfered with, the control being such that it cannot be taken away by an enemy sending station.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction'heremafter descrlbed' and claimed, it being'understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

. Flgure 1 pedo.

Fig.

.is aperspective'view ofthe tor- 2 is a side elevation thereof, portions to show .the interior parts. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the operatingdevice for the vertical rudder.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the operating devicefor the horizontal rudder.

. Fig. 6 isa section on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

7 is a diagramiiiatical view of the 7 Fig.

the torpedo to control wireless equipment of The torpe has a suitable shell or hull 1 motor, a compressed air motor,

'lel, although the as may be found most desirable. The torpedo is provided at the rear end of the shell or body 1 with a horizontal rudder hinged thereto, and with a. vertical rudder 6 also hinged thereto, for steering the torpedo.

In order to control the torpedo by the Hertzian waves, the antennae or aerial 7 is supported by masts 8 carried by the shell to space the antennae a suitable distance above said shell, the latter serving as a ground connection for the aerial or antennae conductor 9 connected at its upper end to the antennae and having its lower endv to the frame or shell of t e torpedo. This conductor 9 has interposed therein the primary windings of the tuning coils 11, 12 and 13, which are preferably connected in paralprimary windings of the several tuning coi s may be united into one Patented May 20, 1919.

or the like,

ounded, as at 10,

with which the secondary windings are asso-.

s own in simple form in Fig. 7,

ed to the controlling member 21 tending to move it away from the'electro-magnet and thus stop the motor. The relay magnet 15 is of the stick type, whereby asteady stream of oscillations will cause the armature switch 16 to adhere to the magnet 15, thus keeping I the circuit- 17 .closedyand maintaining the electro-magnet 19 energized, whereby to hold the controlling member 21. Consequently, when asteady stream of oscillations of suitable character are impressed on the tuning coil 11, this will maintain the armature switch 16 in closed position, whereby the controlling member 21' of the motor is held in operatmgposition, and only'npon the intermember 21 to stop the mo ruption of said stream of oscillations is the controlling member 21 the deenergization of the magnet 15, thus opening the circuit 17 and denergizing the magnet 19 which will release the armature 20, so that the spring 22 will swin the controllin la r. As long as tions have been started. I

The steering means as Well as the propelling means is also controlled by wireless transmission. The operating means of the verticalrudder 6 embodies a shaft 23 journaled within the frame or shell 1 and having a lever 24 secured thereto and connected V by cords or flexible elements 25 with the rudder 6, whereby the oscillation of the v lever 24 with the shaft will oscillate the rudprovided with a sprin -pressed pawl 33 en- I tract the armature switch 38.

gaging an annular series of ratchet teeth 31 with which the internal gear 29 is provided, whereby the oscillation of the arm 32 will advance the by step. This arm 32 is oscillated by a spring and the wireless equipment, is provided with an armature 34 under the influence of an electromagnet 35 in an electrical circuit 36 includacter, whereby onlyg those oscilla ions are effective to energize the magnet 39 and at- Ihese oscillareleased, the arma tllre 16 being first released by and has meshed therewith the.

' tially the same as zian oscillations are so timed that the arm- 32 is oscillated proper speed, to theregears 27 around the sun gear 26, that the internal car 29 in moving with the planetary gea1s 2 will let the sun gear 26 remain stationary. The rudder 6 will, therefore, remain stationary so long as the frequency of the interrupted oscillations is in timed relation with the motor. The operator at the sending station having control of the frequency of interruptions of the oscillations through a suitable sending instrument, can increase or decrease th interruptions wherenumber per unit of time, the internal gear 29 will be rotated faster than its normal speed, and since the planetary gears 27 are rotated at a predetermined speed around the shaft 23, the internal gear 29 in being 1ptated faster, will give the planetary gears 27 an increased motion, counter clockwise there- 0 as seen In Flg. 3, about thelr axes dur- 23 being rotated clockwise as seen in Fig. 3. This willswin-g the lever 24 to thereby ate the cords 25 and swing the rudder 6 toward the corresponding side. When the frequency of interruptions 1s decreased below pressure of the pawl 33 against the teeth 31 serving to retard the the slower movement of the gear 29 will result in the planetary gears 27 being rotated slower, as seen in Fig. 3, about their axes, thereby turning said wise and swinging'the lever 24 in the opposite direction to swing the rudder 6 toward the opposite side. In this manner, when the frequency of interruptions is normal, the rudder 6 W111 remain inits set position, normally in the longitudinal axis of the body or shell 1, to direct thetorpedo straight ahead, and by increasing or decreasing the frequency of interruptions, the rudder will be one slde or the other, to steer the torpedo, or maintain it in its course of flight toward the target aimed at.

he operating means and control of the horizontal or elevating rudder 5 is substanthat for the rudder 6. The planetary gearing embodies a rock shaft 44 having the lever 45 connected by cords or flexible elements 46 wi h the rudder 5 to opersun gear counter clockinternal gear 29, and

oscillate said rudder up and down. A sun gear'47 issecured to the rock shaft 44 and planetary'gears 48 mesh with the sun gear.

and are carried-by a spider '49 mounted for rotation on the shaft 44. An internal gear '50 meshes with the planetary gears 48 and has a spider 51 whose hub is-mounted for'rotation on the shaft'44, the internal gears 50 having ratchet. teeth .52 upon its peripher An oscillatory arm. 54, similar to the arm 32, has a spring-pressed pawl 53 engaging the ratchet teeth 52, and said arm has'an armature-55 under the control of an electro-magnet 56 which actsupon. the armature to advance the pawl 53 and internalgear 50. A spring 57 is connected to the arm 54 for retracting the pawl 53. The

A magnet 56 is disposed in an electrical circuit '60 under the control of of the wireless receiving circuit 62 connected 58 having the battery 59 or other source of electrical energy,

and an armature switch a relay magnetfil to the secondary. -winding of the tuning coil 13. The planetary, gears 48 are rotated with the spider 49 which is operatively connected to the motor, such as by means of a selects .Hertzian oscillations of predeter-.

worm wheel 63 secured to the hub of the spider and meshin with a worm 64-secured on the shaft 43. as well as he spider 28, is rotated at a predetermined velocity, and the tuning coil 13 mined quality for vibrating the armature switch 60,- resulting in the vibration of the arm 54 of predetermined frequency, in order that the internal gear is rotated at the proper speed to maintain the shaft 44'idle to hold the rudder 5 in one position, the movement of said rudder up or down being accomplished by increasmg and decreasing -the\ frequency of interruptions, the same The operator havas with the rudder 6.

ing charge of the sending station for the oscillations controlling the rudder 5,.

can therefore control the elevation of flight of the torpedo, and when the toredo reaches the 5 can be tilted to' turn the nose of the torpedo down, and at the same time, the oscillations which serve to keep the motor operwill fall nose downward by gravity. The rudders 5 and 6 will serve as a tailin order that the torpedo will dart straight downward and there is a suitable explosive charge 65 within the forward end of the shell 1,

which when the torpedo strikes the object,

will become detonated.

In launching the torpedo,- the controlling member 21 of the motor is moved against the magnet 19, and the stream of motor.- controllmg oscillations is started by the sending station, to select said oscillations, whereby the armature switch 16 sticks to the continually ener-' he spider 49, therefore,

desired point, the ruddercan be stopped, whereby the torpedo thecoil 11' being ad usted gized magnet 15,thereby maintaining the magnet 19 energized during the flight of the torpedo, and holding the controlling member; 21, until the torpedo has reached the desired point, at which time the motorcontrolling oscillations are stopped, thereby releasing the operating member 21 which in being moved by the spring 22 will stop the motor. Before the torpedo is launched, and after the motor 3 is started, the two streams of oscillations controlling the rudders 5 and6 are started, the coils 12 and 13 being adjusted to select the respective oscillations, and the frequency of interruptions belng so timed, as to operate the pawls 33 and .53 in. synchronism with the motordriven gears .48. The operator or operators them have perfect control of the torpedo after it is launched, there being three distinct streams of oscillations, which will baflle if not entirely revent the loss of control of the torpedo y effort on the part of the enemy, by wirelesssending stations to intercept the control of the torpedo. control of the torpedo is, therefore, practiimpossible for the enemy to ascertain the key to the control after the torpedo .has beenlaunched and before it finishes its flight. The flight of the torpedo, although controlled by a wireless sending station or stations, can be signaled to the wireless sending station by) observers, in order that the torpedo can e directed accurately to the 'deslred point, which may not be visible from of which is driven by operating means controlled by wireless transmission, the 'latter' part. in being varied [by varying the wireless oscillations, resulting in the desired movement of the rudder. The vibration of the arms 32 and 54 is such that the vibration cannot be interfered with by stray or interposed oscillations, although the frequenc -o vibration of said arms can be increas or decreased gradually. This will practically prevent interference, first, because the tunin coils 12 and 13 select certain oscillations o y, and second, the interruptions must come in steady interruptions, within. certain limits. Havin thus described the invention, what is claime asnew is: v y

1. A torpedo having propelling means,

' The 'cally non-interfering, since it is practically steering means, a differential mechanism for operating the steering means, a motor operating one part of said differential mechanism, and a wireless equipment havin means for operating another part of said mechanism.

2. A torpedo havin propelling means, steering means, motorriven means, a Wireless receiving equipment, means operated by said; equipment, and a difierential operated jointly by the last mentioned and motordriven means for operating the steering means.

3; A torpedo having propelling means, a motor, steering means, operating means for the steering means connected to said motor, a

Wireless receiving equipment, and means controlled by said equ pment controllin the operating means and operable in sync ronism therewith to maintain the steering means in one position and also operable out of synchronism with the operatin means so that it operates the steering means.

4. A torpedo having propelling means, steering means, a motor, a differential mechanlsm connected to the steering means, an 0 erative connection between the motor and one part of sald mechanism, a wlreless receiving equipment, and vlbratory means conmy own, I have hereto aflixed trolled by said equipment and operatin another part of said mechanism to contro the operatlon of the steering means.

5. A torpedo havin propelling means, a motor for the propefiing means, steering means, a differential mechanism for operating the steering means, one part of said differential operated 'by the motor, and electrical means for operating another part of said mechanism to actuate the steering means.

6. A torpedo having propelling means includ' tial mechanism for operating the steering means, comprising a sun gear, an internal gear, and planetary gears between the internal gear and the sun gear, gearing between the planetary gears and the motor, and meansv for operating the internal gear to actuate the planetary gears to' turn the sun gear and operate the steerin means. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my signature in the presence of two witnemes.

CLAUDE H. HILL.

Witnesses:

LOUISE STERN, LORE'I'I'A E. GIESING.

mg a motor, steering means, a difi'eren- 

